Generali Stadium’s Concrete X-Frame Supports a 71,500-Seat Bowl

By Priya Raman

AC Milan and Inter Milan unveiled a 71,500-seat replacement for Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, better known as San Siro, on October 29, 2026. Construction is expected to begin in 2028. A first match is targeted for the 2031/32 season, subject to approvals.

The proposed Generali Stadium comes from Foster + Partners and MANICA. AC Milan and Inter Milan plan to demolish most of San Siro after the replacement opens. The clubs’ schedule sets no confirmed demolition deadline.

A visible support system

The concrete X-frame extends from the colonnades (covered exterior walkways). It crosses the facade (exterior face) and rises to support the sweeping roof. The X-frame makes the structure itself the architecture. In the proposal, repeated geometry gives Generali Stadium its identity. The structure also makes its load-bearing (weight-carrying) role visible.

By exposing the support system rather than concealing it behind a separate skin, the proposal makes the stadium’s engineering and identity perform the same visual job.

AC Milan and Inter Milan say the geometry draws on Italian engineering and Milan’s Duomo craftsmanship. The clubs describe the Duomo connection as an architectural reference. The proposal does not attempt to reproduce the cathedral.

A steeper bowl under a double-curved roof

The two seating tiers form a continuous bowl around the field. Two steep Curvas (supporter sections) rise behind the goals. Each would hold approximately 11,700 fans. Their seating inclinations (slopes) reach 37 degrees. The clubs say the arrangement brings supporters closer to the action.

While the whole bowl stays visually continuous, the proposal concentrates its steepest geometry at the ends, where the two large Curvas place supporters closest to the action.

The Generali Stadium project website lists 27,500 square meters of photovoltaic panels (solar-power generators). The panels would sit within the double-curved roof. The clubs also describe acoustic engineering (sound control) intended to intensify the atmosphere.

Yanko Design cautions that renderings cannot settle either performance claim: “A dramatic roof isn’t proof of either.”

Arrival before the match

The proposal’s diamond-shaped entrances would offer glimpses into the stadium. They would open onto panoramic concourses (circulation spaces) with city views. Naturally ventilated colonnades form part of the approach.

That sequence gives the building an architectural role before spectators reach their seats, although the renderings do not establish how quickly thousands of people could pass through on matchday.

Generali Stadium would anchor the 281,000-square-meter redevelopment. The plans include public spaces, landscaped areas, retail and leisure facilities. The clubs aim to give residents reasons to visit outside matchdays.

For residents uninterested in either club, the proposal’s clearest potential value is a destination beyond event days. Its everyday value depends on how much space remains genuinely public. The district must also remain welcoming.

What changes for supporters and neighbors?

AC Milan and Inter Milan promise enhanced accessibility. The published proposal still needs to resolve three practical elements. They concern step-free (no-stair) routes, companion seating and views when neighboring supporters stand.

Yanko Design makes the practical test: “A designated space is only part of the experience; getting from the entrance to that space matters just as much.”

For supporters and neighbors, the proposal offers a closer 71,500-seat bowl, a larger public-realm redevelopment and enhanced accessibility, but their practical value still depends on movement, sound, power generation and route quality.

The 2028-to-2031/32 test

Generali Stadium remains a proposal moving through design and planning. The clubs expect construction in 2028. They target the 2031/32 season for the opening match, subject to approvals. That opening target is not a confirmed deadline for demolishing San Siro.

Most of San Siro is planned for demolition after Generali Stadium opens. The concrete X-frame will make the replacement recognizable. Yanko Design’s analysis identifies the harder test: whether ordinary supporters feel the building belongs to them. Arrival, seating and the matchday experience will determine whether supporters return.

As construction approaches, the next test will shift from the silhouette to the operating building: solar output, crowd movement, acoustics, accessible routes and genuinely public space. Those measures will decide whether Generali Stadium works as a replacement, rather than only a striking rendering.